RESEARCH LABORATORY OF POWDER COMPOSITES

         The head of the laboratory is Evguenij V.Zvonariov, Doctor of Technical Sciences. Assistant manager of the laboratory is Valerij M.Gorokhov

Directions of research works of the laboratory:

         MECHANICS OF A POROUS COMPRESSIBLE BODY - theoretical investigation of a mechanical behaviour of a porous medium with an irreversible compressibility being exposed to an external force action, that enables to develop scientific principles of a plastic deformation of powder materials in a cool state and after heating.

         PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL NATURE OF A PLASTIC DEFORMATION OF POROUS BODIES - development of new processes of manufacture of prod-ucts from powders of low-alloyed steels, in which the plastical deformation of billets is realized by a "slippage" of elements of a porous body structure along intergranular boundaries, that results in an effective compacting of powder composition.

         HEAT COMPACTING OF METALLIC POWDERS - compacting of powder materials at comparatively low temperatures (100-150^оС) and using of polymers as lubricants. It is used to produce parts of synchronization units of a gearbox, gerotor pairs of high-pressure pumps, sprockets and other precise parts.

         INFILTRATION OF POWDER MATERIALS - development of powder materials on the iron base with improved physical and mechanical properties due to an infiltration of a porous iron (steel) work by metals' melts, i.e. by copper or its alloys. Production of high dense antifrictional parts having high mechanical and tribotechnical properties, that permits to use them in highly loaded friction centers in-stead of bimetallic materials such as steel-bronze, as well as for the production of electric contacts for mobile electric transport and other devices. A wide package of research works has been carried out to investigate conditions of forming of this kind of materials, their properties and applications. They are widely used to produce antifrictional materials for highly loaded operating conditions, as well as for wear resistant elements for shape forming equipment to produce glass containers. Bushings of a front suspension pivot of cars MAZ are made from this kind of materials instead of bimetallic ones such as steel-bronze. Patents of Russia protect materials and thechnology. Neck rings of a glass forming equipment being made from this kind of materials have a service live 3-5 times longer than conventional equipment from an alloy cast iron.

         POWDER ELECTRICAL AND TECHNICAL MATERIALS - development of resource-saving technologies of production of powder commutator blanks (starters, electric drives for household appliances etc.) and their realization in industrial conditions. The technology consists of the production of a ring forging with profile slots on a inner surface for a number of bars by the cool extrusion from sintered copper billets. In 1998 BSScIPMC was awarded the honourable prize by the European Powder Metallurgy Association in the nomination "New technologies" for the development of this technology. Electric contact materials on the copper and tungsten base with additives of other compounds have been developed to provide high service properties. Cu-base materials are used as clump contacts of devices such as electricity meters, weak current interrupting contacts as well as contacts of commutators of electric machines (household appliances, installation tools, starters of engines). Materials on the copper and tungsten(tungsten carbide) base are developed for strong current interrupting contacts of switching devices of a mobile electric transport. Materials on the base of powder tungsten with micro additives of alloying elements providing required service properties have been developed to use in sound signals of auto-, motor techniques.

         POWDER STRUCTURAL MATERIALS ON THE IRON BASE - stamping of powder blanks in a cool state and with heating is the main technology, providing improved physical and mechanical and service properties of this kind of production.

         POWDER ANTIFRICTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE BASE OF COPPER AND IRON - development of antifrictional materials with increased content of solid lubricants (graphite, metals' sulphides, lead, tin and etc.).

         POWDER COMPOSITES ON THE BASE OF IRON AND COPPER - specific characteristic properties of powder materials are successfully used in the production of facings for shaped charges to perforate gas and oil wells. Such facings do not form the stamp and do not block up the canal being perforated by a shaped jet during the blasting of charges.

         PSEUDOCRYSTALLINE NANODIMENSIONAL CERAMICS - production of new ceramic materials with the structure of socalled pseudocrystals or photonic crystals showing spectral seective optical properties. Materials with selective optical properties may be used in devices as spectral and selective mirrors, coatings suppressing an undesirable spectral region in the lighting equipment and cathoderay tubes, in fibreoptics communication lines.

         OXIDE ENGINEERING CERAMICS - development of compounds and technology of production of parts from engineering ceramics that are used in a drawing production (dies), production of glass and polymer filaments, etc.

         DIAMOND COMPOSITES AND PRODUCTS ON THEIR BASE - development of an optimal macro structure of diamond composites providing a high serviceability of tools due to a strong grain confinement of a super hard phase in the matrix, on the other hand providing self-sharpening conditions. Ring diamond drills with the diameter from 50mm up to 200mm to drill ferroconcrete; diamond face milling cutters with the diameter up to 720mm, as well as other tools to treat the stone are produced from this kind of materials.
         The equipment for a hot vacuum compaction with heating by a direct current transmission for a powder compound compacting has been developed in the laboratory.